Apparatus for forming and processing fibers



June 7, 1966 c. J. STALEGO APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND PROCESSING FIBERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed July 25, 1957 l I I 4 15-4 v [125F185 JSfale BY W INVENTOR ATTYE.

June 7, 1966 c. J. STALEGO APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND PROCESSING FIBERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 25, 1957 INVENTOR: EJzarlas J Sialegu.

Qua.

.ATT'YE.

June 7, 1966 c. J. STALEGO 3,254,482

APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND PROCESSING FIBERS Original Filed July 25, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

Eharlas J E'falegu.

June 7, 1966 c. J. STALEGO APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND PROCESSING FIBERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Original Filed July 25, 1957 INVENTOR: 5mm 1525112 0.

BY W k United States Patent 3,254,482 APPARATUS FOR FORIVIING AND PROCESSING FIBERS Charles J. Stalcgo, Newark, Ohio, assignor to Owens- Corning Fiberglas Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application Aug. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 48,017, now Patent No. 3,161,920, dated Dec. 22, 1964, which is a dlVlSlOll of application Ser. No. 674,227, July 25, 1957. Divided and this application Dec. 9, 1964, Ser. No.

Claims. (Cl. 57-5835) This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 48,017 filed August 8, 1960, now US. Patent No. 3,161,920 which is a division of my applica 1957, now

tion Serial No. 674,227, filed July 25, abandoned.

This invention relates to novel method and apparatus for forming and processing fibers or filaments and more especially to a method and apparatus for manufacturing sliver from fine fibers or filaments attenuated from mineral materials through the utilization of centrifugal forces and an attenuating blast for producing the fibers.

Various methods have been employed in gathering and compacting staple fibers into sliver, thread or yarn formation but difiiculties have been encountered in orienting haphazardly arranged fibers into a sliver or linear group in a manner whereby the staple fibers are uniformly distributed lengthwise of the sliver and in attaining an end product which is of substantially uniform diameter and of smooth contour throughout its length. The US. patent to Lannam and Vanucci 2,239,722 is an example of one method of collecting fibers on a conveyor and subsequently passing them through a die for compacting the fibers into a sliver and during the compacting operation to modify the cross-sectional configuration of the sliver and impart a false twist thereto.

This arrangement of this patent is utilized for forming a strand or sliver of steam blown fibers formed from glass streams delivered from a fiXed feeder, the fibers being collected in haphazard orientation, a condition which fosters the formation of a sliver of non-uniform diameter.

The present invention embraces a method of forming a sliver of fibers wherein the natural orientation of the fibers established by the attenuating operation is utilized in processing the fibers into a sliver of substantially uniform size.

An object of the invention resides in a method wherein fibers formed by the attenuation of centrifuged bodies of heat-softened mineral material and oriented into a hollow beam formation are conveyed into a rotating fiber compactor' or device to form a sliver of substantially uniform size and in which protruding fibers or loose fibers are wrapped or folded into the sliver to form a smooth sliver.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a method wherein fibers of a hollow beam formation are collected in loop configurations without impairing the orientation of the fibers and continuously conveying the loops of fibers into a compactor to form a sliver in which successive loops of fibers are arranged in echelon along the sliver.

Another object of the invention resides in an apparatus for converging. a hollow beam of fibers into a rotating compactor whereby the rotation compacts the fibers into a smooth surfaced sliver.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an apparatus for collecting fibers directly from an attenuating zone without materially disturbing the natural orientation of the fibers established by attenuation and drawing the fibers through a rotating tubular member to lick in loose or protruding fibers into a smooth linear body.

3,254,482 Patented June 7, 1966 Still another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus for collecting fibers in successive loops and continuously conveying the loops of fibers into a turbinizer to form the loops of fibers into a smoothsurfaced high strength sliver.

Further objects and advantages are within the scope of this invention such as relate to the arrangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction and to combina tions of parts, elements per se, and to economies of manufacture and numerous otherfeatures as will be apparent from a consideration of the specification and drawing of a form of the invention, which may be preferred, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a semidiagrammatic elevational view of an apparatus for carrying out the method of forming and compacting fibers into a sliver;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view through the rotor and material distributing arrangement of FIGURE 1, the view being taken substantially on the line 22 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

' FIGURE 4 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a semidiagrammatic view illustrating a form of fiber compacting and sliver smoothing means;

FIGURE 6 is a semidia-grammabic sectional view illustrating a rotary fiber-forming apparatus and means for collecting and compacting the fibers into a plurality of slivers;

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of the fiber collecting and conveying arrangement shown in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a plan view illustrating loops of fibers conveyed into a fiber compacting means for forming slivers;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 9-9 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line -1010 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 11 illustrates a modified form of fiber attenuation and fiber collecting and conveying means;

'FIGURE 12 is a diagrammatic sectional view showing another method of collecting, conveying and forming fibers into a sliver, and

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the fiber collecting means shown in FIGURE 12, the section being taken on the line 1'313 of FIG- URE 12.

While the invention has been illustrated as particularly usable in forming molten glass into fibers and processing the fibers to form a smooth sliver or strand, it is to be understood that the method and apparatus may be utilized for forming and processing other kinds of fibers if desired.

Referring to the drawings in detail, FIGURE 1 illustrates a structural arrangement for carrying out or performing the steps in the method of the invention. In this arrangement the fiber-forming material is discharged out- ,wa-rdly from a rotor and the discharged material attenuated into fibers through the utilization of a high velocity gaseous blast. The stream 11 of molten glass or other heat-softened fiber-forming material flows from an orifice in a feeder 10 which is associated with a forehearth (not shown) containing a supply of molten glass.

Disposed beneath the feeder 10 is a rotor 12 having a cylindrical sleeve-like portion 14 which is journally supported in suitable bearings (not shown). The rotor 12 is adapted to be rotated by a motor or other suitable means (not shown). The rotor is fashioned with a peripheral wall 18 formed with a large number of small orifices or openings through which the heat-softened glass within the rotor is discharged in the form of discrete bodies or primary filaments 21 moving outwardly under the influence of the centrifugal forces of rotation.

The sleeve portion 14 of the rotor is connected with the peripheral wall 18- by a frusto-conically shaped portion 22. A glass distributing or dispersing means 24 is contained within the rotor and one form of the means 24 is illustrated in FIGURES 2 through 4. Surrounding the sleeve 14 of the rotor is an annularly shaped burner construction 28 which is formed with an annular combustion chamber or confined zone 30 in which a combustible mixture, such as fuel gas and air, is adapted to be burned. The fuel gas and air is admitted to the chamber 30 through a manifold (not shown).

The lower wall portion 32 of the burner construction is formed with an annularly shaped slot or orifice 34 through which the burned gases or products of combustion from the chamber 30 are discharged in the form of a high velocity gaseous blast. The annularly-shaped blast emanating from the orifice 34 is directed into engagement with the outwardly moving bodies or primaries 21 attenuating them into fine fibers. While the gaseous blast of burned gases is of a temperature Well above the attenuating temperature of the glass, it is to be understood that air, steam or other gas moving at sutficient velocities to effect attenuation of the primaries 21 to fibers may be employed as attenuating mediums.

By reason of the annular character of the attenuating region established at the zone of engagement of the gases of the blast with the primaries, the attenuated fibers move downwardly in directions substantially parallel with the axis of the rotor 12 in the form of a substantially hollow beam or web 37 of fibers 39.

A feature of the invention is the formation of a sliver from the fibers of the beam by converging the fibers into a continuous sliver or linear bundle. Due to the fact that the attenuating operation provides a natural orientation of the fibers in the hollow beam formation whereby they are generally in parallelism, a sliver or strand may be formed from the fibers without material modification or impairment of their natural orientation in the beam.

The bundle of fibers, sliver or strand may be fed through a fiber compacting device or means 38 for folding in or licking down any loose fibers or projecting fiber ends. The sliver 40 formed from the fibers 39 may be collected in any suitable manner, as for example, the sliver may be wound upon a sleeve 42 mounted upon a rotatable shaft 43 to form a package.

The arrangement shown in FIGURE 1 preferably embodies a means for assisting in converging the fibers of the hollow beam 37 into a strand or sliver formation. Surrounding the beam of fibers is a frusto-conically shaped element 45 which is supported adjacent its respective ends by means of bearings 46 and 47, the angularity or degree of convergence of the fibers of the beam being generally coincident with the inner surface of the frusto-conically shaped guide member 45. The thin-walled member 45 is provided with a comparatively large number of comparatively small openings 49 through which the gases from the blast may flow away from the converging group of fibers.

Means may be provided for establishing a subatmospheric or reduced pressure adjacent the member 45 in order to facilitate the disposal of the spent gases of the blast through the openings 49. Surrounding the member 45 is an annular receptacle connected by means of a pipe or tubular member 57 with a suction blower or other suitable source of reduced pressure. Thus the subatmospheric pressure within the chamber 56 provided by the annular receptacle 55 establishes suction which fosters the fiow of spent gases of the blast though the openings 49 and away from the region of travel of the fibers.

A form of sliver guide and fiber compacting means 38 is illustrated in FIGURE 5. The arrangement is inclusive of a housing 60 having an enlarged circular portion 61 enclosing a plurality of turbine blades or vanes 62. The turbine blades are connected with or supported by a tubular member 64, the latter being journally supported in bearings 66 carried by the housing 60. The entrance end 68 of the tubular member 64 is preferably flared or bellmouthed shape to facilitate the delivery of the group of fibers, sliver or strand into the member 64.

The interior diameter of the tubular member 64 at a region spaced from the entrance end 68 is of a dimension to snugly receive the sliver or fiber group so that rotation of the tubular member 64 functions to Wrap in, fold in or lick down any projecting fibers or loose fibers so as to produce a compact sliver having a smooth exterior surface which is free from fuzziness. provided with a tangentially arranged inlet 70 which is in communication with a tube 71 connected with a source of gas under pressure, such as compressed air, whereby a jet or stream of compressed air or other gas is directed against the blades or vanes 62 for rotating the tubular member or fiber compactor 64.

While the member 64 is illustrated as being driven or rotated by a turbine construction, it is to be understood that the tubular member may be driven by other means such as an electric motor wherein the motor shaft may be of tubular construction to accommodate the sliver and function as a sliver smoothing means.

Where the beam 37 of fibers is directed through the frusto-conically shaped member 45 and the latter remains in static condition, no twisting of the linear group of fibers will take place in the rotating compactor 38. By rotating the member 45 a twist may be imparted to the group of fibers as they converge into sliver formation adjacent the entrance of the compactor 38 by reason of the subatmospheric pressure in chamber 56, causing the fibers to adhere to the inner conically shaped surface whereby the fibers are slidably moved toward the region of convergence by the interadherence or interfelting of the fibers in the beam.

Thus While the fibers within the frusto-conically shaped member 45 may be urged into engagement with the inner surface thereof with considerable lateral force under the influence of the suction in chamber 56, only a comparatively small amount of tension or force is required to slide tthse fibers downwardly along the inner surface of member FIGURES 2 through 4 illustrate the configuration of a material distributing member 24 disposed within the rotor 12 for redirecting the glass or material of the stream 11 being dispersed or distributed laterally of the axis of rotation by centrifugal forces. The member 24 is of generally circular configuration as shown in FIGURE 2 and is fashioned with an upwardly extending sleeve portion 75 which is joined by a suitable means to the rotor 12. The

sleeve portion 75 is joined to a circular flange 76.

The member 24 is formed with a centrally disposed bottom wall or planar portion 78 preferably of circular configuration, the stream 11 of glass impinging upon the portion 78. The lower wall configuration surrounding the planar central portion 78 is shaped to provide for the outward discharge of glass on three difierent horizontal levels so as to effect a substantially equal distribution of the glass along the inner surface of the perforated peripheral wall 18 throughout the vertical dimension of the wall.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the bottom wall portion of the glass distributor is joined to the flange 76 by means of three posts or struts 80 which are preferably peripherally equally spaced and are positioned at the zones of transition of the bottom wall portions to the trilevel distribution zones. With particular reference to FIGURES 2 and 3, the sector-shaped region 82 of the bottom wall is arranged in the same plane as the central portion 78 and is disposed so as to distribute the glass in the form of a band of a The housing portion 61 is depth equal to approximately one-third of the vertical dimension of the perforated wall 18 as indicated at 84.

As particularly shown in FIGURE 3, the sector-shaped region 86 of the bottom wall is angularly disposed or slanted upwardly to direct the outwardly moving glass into engagement with the upper third of the vertical dimension of the perforated wall 18 as indicated at 88.

FIGURE 4 illustrates the third sector-shaped region or portion 90 of the bottom wall angularly disposed and slanted upwardly from the central portion to direct the outwardly moving glass into contact with the central portion of the perforated peripheral wall 18 as indicated at 92 intermediate the zones 84 and 88 of engagement of the glass with the rotor wall. The distributing member 24 is illustrated as being rotatable with the motor 12, but it is to be understood that the distributor may be rotated independently of the rotor. Through this arrangement the glass or fiber-forming material of the stream 11 is substantially equally distributed over the perforated wall 18 so as to provide an ample supply of glass adjacent all of the orifices 20.

FIGURES 6 through 10 illustrate an arrangement for carrying on or performing the method of the invention wherein the fibers of the hollow beam are collected in loop formations and the loop of fibers oriented into a strand or sliver. The fiber attenuating method is similar to that carried out by the arrangement shown in FIGURE 1 and includes a rotor 12' having a peripheral vertical wall 18' provided with a plurality of orifices 20' through which molten glass or other material on the interior of the rotor is projected by centrifugal forces of rotation of the rotor forming primary filaments or discrete bodies 21.

An annularly-shaped burner 28' surrounds and is disposed above the rotor 12'. The burner is provided with a combustion chamber, the lower wall of which is formed with an annular restricted slot or orifice 34' through which a high velocity blast of burned gases resulting lfrom com bustion of a fuel and air mixture in the chamber is discharged into engagement with the primary filaments 21' attenuating them into fibers 39 which move away from the rotor in a hollow beam formation 37.

Disposed adjacent the rotor and surrounding the beam of fibers 37 is a hood or enclosure 95 which may be of circular or rectangular cross-section for guiding the fibers toward a collecting means. In this form of the invention, the fibers are collected on transversely spaced linear supports arranged to collect the fibers in a plurality of caternary-like configurations as shown in FIGURE 9. As particularly shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, the fiber collecting arrangement includes a plurality of flexible wires, cords or cables 98 of endless type disposed in transversely spaced relation.

The flexible wires or cables 98 are supported to form an upper flight 100 by means of a group of grooved rollers or sheaves 102 which are mounted upon a transversely arranged shaft 103, the grooves in the sheaves 102 functioning to maintain the fiber collectors 98 in spaced relation. The cables at the end region of the flight 100 pass around a roller 105 so as to maintain the regions of the cables forming flight 100 substantially in a single plane.

The wires or cables 98 are in constant tension and take over or pass around rolls 106, one of which may be driven to advance the upper flight 100 of the cables in a right hand direction as viewed in FIGURE 6. A re ceptacle 108 is disposed beneath the flight 100 and is in registration with the hood or enclosure 95, the receptacle forming a chamber 110 connected by means of a tube or pipe 111 with a suction blower or means for establishing reduced pressure in the chamber 110.

The suction or subatmospheric pressure in chamber 110 assists in the deposition of the fibers upon the cables 98 and conveys away the spent gases of the attenuating blast from the burner 28' or other gases utilized as an attenuating blast. The fibers formed by the apparatus shown in FIGURE 6 are of varying lengths and a large 6 portion of the fibers are of suflicient length to be disposed astraddle several of the cables 98 and the shorter length fibers supported by the longer fibers in the general orientation illustrated in FIGURE 9.

Means is provided for severing the bight regions of the caternary-like configurations 114 of the collected fibers. With partciular reference to FIGURES 6, 7 and 10, there is provided a transversely extending shaft 116 supporting a sleeve 117 carrying a plurality of hubs 118, each hub being equipped with a plurality of radially extending bars, rods or knives 120. As shown in FIG- URE 7, the hub and rod assemblies are disposed whereby the blades rotate in regions midway between adjacent cables 98 of the flight 100.

The hubs 118 are secured upon the sleeve 117 which is fixed upon the shaft 116 whereby all of the hub and rod assemblies are rotated by the shaft driven by any suitable means. -It should be noted from FIGURE 2 that the blades or rods 120 are of sufiicient length whereby the extremities thereof traverse a path whose upper limit is above the flight 100 so that during rotation of the shaft 116 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 6 the blades or rods engage the bight regions of the caternary-like configurations 114 and sever the fibers whereby the fibers are suspended by the cables 98 in the upper flight in inverted U-shaped loops as shown in FIGURE 10.

Disposed beneath the assemblies of hubs 118 and blades or rods is a transversely moving conveyor 128 of the endless belt type which is arranged to receive any loose fibers or short fibers which may be dislodged from the caternary configurations 114 during the fiber severing operations and convey such collected fibers to a zone remote from the fiber severing region.

The fibers in inverted U-shaped' formations are as sembled into a linear bundle, sliver or strand formation. Disposed between the fiber severing rod or blade assemblies and the cable guiding roll 105 is a plate-like member or baffle 130 preferably of curved configuration as shown in FIGURE 6, the upper edge region of which terminates adjacent the zone of engagement of the cables 98 with the roller 105. The plate or fiber guiding member 130 is adapted to engage the parallel leg regions of the inverted U-shaped fiber groups or loops causing them to approach a horizontal position as viewed in FIGURE 6 or a position in substantial parallelism with the cables 98 of the flight 100.

Disposed in transversely spaced relation adjacent the roller 105 and in alignment with each of the advancing loops of fibers 124 is a fiber compactor or turbinizer 38 of the character shown in FIGURE 5. The loop or bight regions of the transversely spaced loops of fibers 124 enter the tubular means of the sliver compacting devices 38' in advance of the trailing fibers which are smoothed down and compacted in the rotating compactors to form a smooth surfaced sliver in which any loose fibers or projecting fiber ends are wrapped or folded into or licked down into the sliver.

As the interfelted U-shaped fiber groups 124 are disposed substantially uniformly along the upper flights of cables 98, the groups successively enter the fiber compactor 38 and in the finished sliver the groups of fibers are arranged in echelon formation insubstantially uniform linear spacing. The slivers take over a guide roll 136 and may be wound on sleeves 42' to form packages, the winding tension assisting in advancing the groups 124 of fibers into the compactor through the frictional interadherence or interfelting of the fibers.

If desired, a lubricant, binder or other coating material may be delivered onto the fibers within the hood or enclosure 95 and a coating on the fibers tends to augment the integration of the fibers into slivers as they enter and move through the tubular members 64' of the fiber compactors 38.

By reasons of the formation of the slivers by loops of fibers oriented in echelon relation, a high strength sliver is produced and the fibers are substantially uniformly distributed lengthwise of the sliver with the fibers of the loops in substantially parallel relation. A sliver of this character is admirably suited for formation into threads and yarns for textile purposes by reason of the uniform size and smoothness of the surface.

FIGURE 11 is illustrative of a modified method of fiber attenuation and arrangement for collecting the fibers.

' FIGURE 11 illustrates a relatively stationary elongated burner 140 provided with a combustion chamber or confined zone in which a combustible mixture supplied through a manifold 142 is completely burned and the product of combustion or burned gases projected as a high velocity blast through an elongated restricted orifice 144. The gases of the blast are at temperatures well above the softening point or attenuating temperature of glass.

Substantially rigid rods or primary filaments 146 'of glass are fed end'wise into the blast at regions adjacent the elongated orifice 144. The intensely hot gases of the blast soften the advancing extremities of the rods and the softened glass attenuates to fibers 150 by the velocity of the gases of the blast.

The fibers 150 are conveyed by the blast onto a plurality of flexible cables or wires 98 providing a flight 100' of a fiber collecting and advancing arrangement. The cables 98 are supported upon rolls 152, 153, 154 and 155, one or more of which are grooved to hold or maintain the cables 98' in transversely spaced relation. Any number of cables may be utilized dependent upon the number of transversely arranged groups of fibers to be formed.

A suction chamber 110' provided by a receptacle 108' is connected with a suitable source of reduced pressure through a pipe 111' to assist in collecting the fibers 150 on the cables 98 in catenary-like shapes as shown in FIGURE 9. In this arrangement the fibers supported in undulated or caternary shape are severed in the bight regions of the catenaries by rotating rods 120' carried by hubs 118 as they are advanced in an upwardly inclined direction as shown in FIGURE 11 by the fiber supporting cables 98'. A curved baffle or blade 130' serves to direct the catenary-like loops of fibers into a plurality of compactors 38", one of which is shown in FIGURE 11, to form slivers.

The loops of fibers may be oriented into a mat. This may be accomplished by collecting the advancing loops of fibers on an endless belt-like conveyor having a collecting region adjacent the cable guiding roll 153 in lieu of the fiber compacting devices 38". of this character are substantially uniformly distributed lengthwise of the mat and the same-is endowed with exceptional strength characteristics in a lengthwise direction by reason of the substantially parallel orientation of the fibers.

FIGURES 12 and 13 illustrate an arrangement or apparatus for carrying out the method of the invention wherein the fibers are collected upon a comparatively narrow belt and the collected fibers advanced into a twisting mechanism for twisting the fibers in a sliver.

As particularly shown in FIGURE 12, a rotor 12" is adapted to receive a stream of glass or other flowa-ble fiber-forming material, the rotation of the rotor projecting the molten glass through orifices or openings formed in the rotor wall 18".

A burner 28" supplies an annularly shaped blast of intensely hot burned gases projected through an annularly shaped restricted orifice or slot 34", the blast engaging the extruded bodies or primary filaments 21" and attenuating the same into a hollow beam 37 of fibers 39". The beam 37 of fibers is delivered into a hood or enclosure 170 having an upper entrance 171 to receive the fibers, the lower region or portion 172 of the hood 170 The fibers of a mat being shaped to form a rectangular discharge outlet 174 elongated in the direction of movement of a fiber collecting belt 176.

The upper flight 178 of the belt 176 is advanced in a right-hand direction as viewed in FIGURE 12 by suitable driving means (not shown). The end regions of the upper flight 178 of the fiber collecting belt or element 176 pass over rollers 180 and 181 thence around two group of guide rollers, the rollers of each group being designated 182, 183 and 184. A major number of the fibers moving through the hood 170 are interrupted and collected upon the flight 178 of belt 176, the fibers being looped upon and supported by the belt in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 13.

Disposed beneath the conveyor flight 178 is a walled chamber 187 and beneath the chamber is the upper flight 189 of an endless belt conveyor 190 which moves adjacent the region defined by -the wall 188, the conveyor 190 being carried on rolls 192, one of which is illustrated in FIGURE 12. The conveyor 190 may be driven by means (not shown) connected with one of the supporting rollers. The return flight 185 of the fiber-collecting band 176 is directed exteriorly of the chamber 187 by the groups of guide rollers 183 and 184.

While the major number of fibers moving through the enclosure 170, are deposited on the band or belt 176, some of the fibers pass the flight 178 of the belt and are collected upon the flight 189 of the secondary conveyor and conveyed away for processing into mats or other products.

The fibers deposited upon the flight 178 of the band 176 are oriented generally in superposed loops as indicated at in FIGURE 13. The length of the loops in a substantial measure is influenced by the lengths of the fibers deposited on the belt, and as the fibers are collected on a single band, no severing operation is required to remove the loops from the belt. As shown in FIGURE 12, the loops of fibers 195 conveyed by the flight 178 in a right-hand direction are discharged from the belt at the region of the roller 181 into a twister 197 of conventional construction driven by a belt 198 from a motor (not shown) which imparts a partial twist to the fibers of the sliver or strand 199 which may be collected in a receptacle 200 or the sliver may be wound into a package.

The fiber loops 195 may be directed through a fiber compactor such as that indicated at 38 in FIGURE 1 in addition to the sliver being passed through the twister 198 or, if a plain sliver is desired, the twister 198 is not used. The fibers continuously collected on the band 176 are delivered for-formation into a sliver at a uniform rate and hence the sliver formed therefrom is of uniform diameter. The belt 176 may be approximately one inch in width for formation of a satisfactory sliver, but it is to be understood that a belt of any width may be utilized or a series of belts arranged in parallelism may be employed for concomitantly producing several slivers in the manner described.

While combustion burners have been shown herein for producing fiber attenuating blasts of intensely hot products of combustion, other gases under pressure, such as steam or air, may be utilized for attenuating the glass ,or other material to fibers.

It is apparent that, within the scope of the invention, modifications and different arrangements may be made other than is herein disclosed, and the present disclosure is illustrative merely, the invention comprehending all variations thereof.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the character disclosed in combinathe member to deliver the collected fibers into the tubular member whereby the fibers are compacted by the tubular member into a sliver.

2. Apparatus of the character disclosed, in combination, means for establishing a gaseous blast, means for delivering bodies of fiber-forming mineral material into the blast whereby the bodies are attenuated to fibers by the blast, a linear conveyor of comparatively narrow width disposed in the path of the fibers whereby the fibers are collected thereon in U-shaped loops, an element formed with a passage, means for advancing the conveyor to continuously deliver the U-shaped loops into the passage, and means for rotating said element for compacting the U-shaped loops of fibers into a sliver.

3. Apparatus of the character disclosed, in combination, means for establishing a gaseous balst, means for delivering bodies of fiber-forming mineral material into the blast whereby the bodies are attenuated to fibers by the blast, a plurality of transversely spaced linear conveyors disposed in the path of the attenuated fibers whereby the fibers are collected thereon, means engageable with the fibers carried by the conveyors at regions between adjacent conveyors for separating the fibers into groups whereby a group is supported on each of the conveyors, a plurality of tubular members, means for moving the conveyors in directions to deliver the fibers collected on the conveyors into the tubular members to form the individual groups of fibers into slivers.

4. Apparatus of the character disclosed, in combination, a support, a hollow rotor journaled on the support having a wall formed with orifices, means for delivering heat-softened fiber-forming material into the rotor, means for rotating the rotor whereby the material therein is projected by centrifugal forces through the orifices to form discrete bodies, means for directing an annularlyshaped gaseous blast into engagement with the bodies to attenuate the same to fibers oriented in a hollow beam formation, a linear conveyor of comparatively narrow Width disposed in the path of the beam of. fibers whereby the fibers are collected thereon in U-shaped loops, an element formed with a passage, means for advancing the conveyor to continuously deliver the U-shaped loops into the passage, and means for rotating said element for compacting the U-shaped loops of fibers into a sliver.

5. Apparatus of the character disclosed, in combination, a support, a hollow rotor journaled on the support having a wall formed with orifices, means for delivering heat-softened fiber-forming material into the rotor, means for rotating the rotor .whereby the material therein is projected by centrifugal forces through the orifices to form discrete bodies, means for directing a gaseous blast into engagement with the bodies to attenuate the same to fibers oriented in a hollow beam formation, a plurality of linear conveyors disposed in the path of the hollow beam of fibers whereby the fibers are collected thereon, means engageable with the fibers on the conveyors at regions between adjacent conveyors for sepa- 10 to fibers of varying lengths, a flexible cable disposed in the path of movement of the fibers whereby the fibers are collected in loops astraddle the flexible cable, and means for assembling the loops of fibers into a linear bundle.

7. Apparatus of the character disclosed, in combination, means for establishing a gaseous blast, means for delivering bodies of fiber-forming mineral material into the blast whereby. the bodies are attenuated by the blast to fibers, a plurality of transversely-spaced linear conveyors disposed in the path of movement of the fibers away from the attenuating blast whereby the fibers are collected on the conveyors, and rotatable means engageable with the fibers on the conveyors at regions between adjacent conveyors for severing the fibers into individual groups.

8. Apparatus for collecting fibers for use with means for attenuating heat-softened fiber-forming material into fibers by a gaseous attenuating blast including, in combination, a walled fiber-receiving hood having an entrance shaped to receive the fibers and the gases of the attenuating blast, the walls of the hood at the exit end rating the fibers into individual groups, a plurality of thereof providing an elongated narrow fiber discharge opening, and a fiber-receiving conveyor of a width less than the width of discharge opening of the hood disposed at the discharge opening and movable in the direction of the length of the opening to convey the collected fibers away from the hood.

9. Apparatus for collecting fibers for use with means for attenuating heat-softened fiber-forming material into fibers by a gaseous attenuating blast including, in combination, a walled fiber-receiving hood having an entrance shaped to receive the fibers and the gases of the attenuating blast, the walls of the hood at the exit end thereof providing an elongated narrow fiber discharge opening, a narrow endless band of a width less than the width of discharge opening of the hood, a fiight of said band being disposed adjacent the discharge opening and movable lengthwise of said discharge opening and in the path of the attenuated fibers whereby the fibers are collected on the band in U-shaped loops, said band being continuously movable to convey the collected fibers away from the hood.

10. Apparatus for collecting fibers for use with means for attenuating heat-softened fiber-forming material into fibers by a gaseous attenuating blast including, in combination, a walled fiber-receiving hood having an entrance shaped to receive the fibers and the gases of the attenuating blast, the Walls of the hood at the exit end providing an elongated narrow fiber dischar e opening, a narrow endless band of a width less than the width of discharge opening of the hood, a flight of said band being disposed adjacent the discharge opening and movable lengthwise of said discharge opening and in the path of the attenuated fibers whereby the fibers are collected on the band in U-shaped loops, and a rotatable fiber compacting means, said band being arranged to convey the collected fibers to the fiber compacting means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,361,309 10/1944 Miller 19150 2,431,205 11/1947 Slayter 15 2,468,827 5/1949 Kennedy et al. 19l50 X 2,799,898 7/1957 Roncin 1912 DONALL H. SYLVESTER, Primary Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DISCLOSED IN COMBINATION WITH MEANS FOR ATTENUATING FIBER-FORMING MATERIAL INTO FIBERS ORIENTED IN A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL BEAM FORMATION, A COLLECTOR INCLUDING A LINEAR MEMBER DISPOSED IN THE PATH OF THE BEAM OF FIBERS WHEREBY THE FIBERS ARE COLLECTED ASTRADDLE THE MEMBER, A TUBULAR MEMBERS, MEANS FOR ROTATING THE TUBULAR MEMBER, AND MEANS FOR MOVING THE MEMBER TO DELIVER THE COLLECTED FIBERS INTO THE TUBULAR MEMBER WHEREBY THE FIBERS ARE COMPACTED BY THE TUBULAR MEMBER INTO A SLIVER. 